Jim Kaat

James Lee "Jim" Kaat (born November 7, 1938 in Zeeland, Michigan), nicknamed "Kitty", is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Washington Senators (I)/Minnesota Twins (1959–1973), Chicago White Sox (1973–1975), Philadelphia Phillies (1976–1979), New York Yankees (1979–1980), and St. Louis Cardinals (1980–1983).

After a brief stint as a pitching coach for the Cincinnati Reds under Pete Rose, he then became a sportscaster for MSG Network and the YES Network for the next 22 years. Following a brief retirement in 2006, Jim Kaat was back in the broadcast booth calling Pool D for the 2009 World Baseball Classic in Puerto Rico, called games for NESN in 2009 (as a replacement for Jerry Remy), and is currently under contract with the MLB Network through the 2010 season.

He continues to write a weekly Kaat's Korner blog for the YES Network and his own baseball blog for his website at JimKaat.com^[1]. He has written a best-selling book, Still Pitching, and has started a sports management company, Southpaw Enterprises, Inc., solely representing pitchers.

Biography

Baseball career

Kaat attended Hope College in Holland, Michigan, and pitched on the school team there. He was signed by the Washington Senators as an amateur free agent in 1957, and moved west with the team in 1961 when they became the Minnesota Twins.

Kaat was a member of the 1965 Twins team that won the American League pennant. He started three games in the 1965 World Series, matching up with Sandy Koufax on all three occasions, including a complete game victory in Game 2.

His best season was in 1966, when he won a league-leading 25 games. He finished fifth in the MVP voting and was named the American League Pitcher of the Year by The Sporting News. The National League's Sandy Koufax won the Cy Young Award by a unanimous vote; it was the last year in which only one award was given for both leagues. Kaat was primarily a starting pitcher until 1979, when he became a relief pitcher.

Kaat was an All-Star three times (1962, 1966, 1975), and won the Gold Glove Award for defensive skill a record 16 consecutive times (1962-1977). His record for career Gold Gloves by a pitcher is now second to Greg Maddux's 18. With the Cardinals in 1982, Kaat earned his only World Series ring working in four games out of the bullpen. In 1983 he became the last major league player to have played in the 1950s and the last "original" (pre-Twins) Washington Senator player to retire.

At the time of his retirement, Kaat's 25-year career was the longest of any pitcher in major league history. He is now third all-time, behind Nolan Ryan's 27 seasons and Tommy John's 26 campaigns.

Retirement

Upon retirement, he served a short stint with the Cincinnati Reds as the club's pitching coach. When Pete Rose took over in 1984 as the Reds' player/manager, he made good on a promise to Kaat, his former Philadelphia Phillies teammate, and hired the former hurler for his coaching staff. Kaat would coach part of the 1984 season and all of 1985, a year in which he guided Cincinnati rookie Tom Browning to a 20–9 record. "At least I can say I had a 20-game winner every year I coached", Kaat used to joke. After retiring from baseball, Jim turned to broadcasting and is currently under contract with the MLB channel and YES Network for broadcasting, video and web blogs on a regular basis through the 2009/2010 season.

Broadcasting career

Early broadcasting career

As stated during the broadcast of the seventh game of the 1965 World Series on NBC television, Mr. Kaat was a broadcaster on local radio in Minnesota. He restarted broadcasting as an analyst for Home Team Sports during the 1981 Baseball Strike. He later served as the chief baseball correspondent for Good Morning America from 1984–85, including the World Series.^[2]

First stint for the Yankees

His first stint for the Yankees was during the 1986 season, where he called around 100 games.^[3] He only lasted one season as he was replaced by Billy Martin, who was purposely brought in to second-guess Lou Pinella, who was between managaging stints.^[4]

Minnesota Twins

In between broadcasting stints for the Yankees, he spent six years (1988–1993) as an announcer for the Twins.^[5]

NBC

During the late 1980s, he was the backup annnouncer for NBC's coverage of baseball with Dick Enberg.^[6] He also served as an analyst for their coverage of the 1988 Summer Olympics.^[2]

CBS

Kaat has also had a career as a broadcaster after retiring from baseball. From 1990–1993, Kaat served as an analyst for CBS television, teaming with Dick Stockton and then, Greg Gumbel in 1993. Besides calling four American League Championship Series for CBS (1990–1993), Kaat served as a field reporter with Lesley Visser (1990–1992) and Andrea Joyce (1991) during the World Series. Kaat covered three World Series Trophy presentations for CBS (1990–1992). In 1993, he filled in for Lesley Visser when she had the bizarre jogging accident in New York City's Central Park until late August

ESPN

In 1994, he was the lead analyst on Baseball Tonight on ESPN baseball coverage. He previously had served as an analyst for the 1988 College World Series as well as the World Series that year.^[2]

ABC

In 1995, he was nominated for an Emmy Award for "On Camera Achievement." Also in 1995, Kaat called the American League playoffs with Brent Musburger for ABC including the Yankees–Seattle Mariners Division Series.^[2]

New York Yankees (2nd stint)

In addition, he was on the team which won the "Outstanding Live Sports Coverage - Single Program" New York Emmy for covering Dwight Gooden's no-hitter and David Wells' perfect game. He also won an Emmy for on-air achievement in 2006.

He served two stints as an announcer for Yankees games on WPIX and the MSG Network/YES Network (1986 and 1995–2006),^[7] where his straight-shooting style was much in the mode of former Yankees broadcasters Tony Kubek and Bill White.

Towards the end of his second stint with the Yankees, his workload decreased. In 2006, he only broadcasted 65 games.^[8]

In an on-air broadcast on September 10, 2006 with booth partner Ken Singleton, Kaat acknowledged his plan to end his broadcasting career. His final appearance in the booth was to be a Yankee–Red Sox game on September 15, 2006 (Kaat was also set to throw out the first pitch). However, the game was postponed due to rain. Kaat later announced that he was going to record a special farewell message to the fans, but would not return for any additional broadcasts. However, the following day, Kaat did announce one full inning of the first game of Saturday September 16's doubleheader on Fox along with Tim McCarver and Josh Lewin. During that FOX telecast he was able to say goodbye to the Yankee fans, an opportunity that the previous night's rainout had deprived him of doing on the YES Network.

Kaat made a special one-inning appearance, during the third inning, on the YES Network on June 30, 2008 during a Yankees–Rangers game. He also had a telephone conference live, during a Yankees–Blue Jays game on July 13, 2008, to discuss the recent death of Bobby Murcer.

TBS and MLB Network

He joined the TBS Sunday Baseball team, for a single game on May 4, 2008. In 2009, Kaat joined the recently launched MLB Network as a color commentator for their Thursday Night Baseball series. Kaat also writes a weekly on-line blog for the Yankees (YES) Network, Kaat's Korner, and contributes video blogs and interviews regularly with national and international media outlets. One of the reasons he got back into broadcasting was because after his wife died, Tim McCarver and Elizabeth Schumacher, his friend and business manager, urged him to get back into the game. He also called Pool D in Puerto Rico for the 2009 World Baseball Classic games for an international feed.^[9]

Seven (7) Emmy Awards

From 1997 – 2005, Kaat won 7 Emmy Awards for excellence in sports broadcasting:

1995-96 New York Emmy Award for 'Outstanding Live Sports Coverage, Single Program, Dwight Gooden's No Hitter', Jim Kaat, Analyst, May 14, 1996, MSG Network;

1996 – 1997 New York Emmy Award for ‘Outstanding Live Sports Coverage, The Battle of New York: Yankees vs. Mets’, New York Yankees Baseball, Jim Kaat, Announcer, June 16, 1997, MSG Network;

1997-1998 New York Emmy Award for ‘Outstanding Live Sports Coverage-Single Program: Professional; David Wells Perfect Game, NY Yankees Baseball, Jim Kaat Commentator, MSG Network;

1997 – 1998 New York Emmy Award for ‘Outstanding Live Sports Coverage-Series-Professional’, NY Yankees Baseball, Jim Kaat, Commentator, MSG Network;

1999 – 2000 New York Emmy Award for ‘Outstanding Live Sports Coverage-Series’, NY Yankees, Jim Kaat, Announcer, April 13, 1999, MSG Network;

2004-2005 New York Emmy Award for ‘On-camera Achievement (Sports): Analysis/Commentary in a Sportscast, Jim Kaat, YES Network;

2004-2005 New York Emmy Award for ‘Live Sports Coverage: Single Program (Professional)’, NY Yankees Baseball- 2005 Opening Night, Jim Kaat, Talent, YES Network;

Personal life

Jim Kaat's marriage to first wife, Julie and second wife, Linda ended in divorce. Jim Kaat'third wife, MaryAnn Kaat, died in July 2007 after 22 years of marriage. Jim Kaat created a memorial fund in her name to put lights on the baseball fields in his hometown of Zeeland, Michigan in her honor^[10]. Jim and MaryAnn have 4 children and 6 grandchildren. Kaat married fourth wife, Margie, in 2009.

See also

• List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
• List of Major League Baseball wins champions
• MLB All-Time Hit Batsmen List
• Top 100 strikeout pitchers of all time
• MLB all-time leaders in home runs by pitchers
• Chicago White Sox all-time roster

References

This article's citation style may be unclear. The references used may be made clearer with a different or consistent style of citation, footnoting, or external linking. (March 2009)

• Tom Browning and Dann Stupp (2006). Tom Browning's Tales from the Reds Dugout. Sports Publishing LLC. ISBN 1-59670-046-7

External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube
• Baseball Hall of Fame: Kaat's Career a Study in Consistency
• 2007 Baseball Hall of Fame candidate profile at the Internet Archive
• Jim Kaat to the Hall of Fame? - article supporting the case of electing Jim Kaat to the Hall of Fame
• - Yes Network section on his retirement
• Kaat's meow: Signing off after 25 memorable years behind mike
• Jim Kaat Retirement Baseball's Loss
• Arguments for inducting Jim Kaat into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
• An historical Chattanooga Lookouts page featuring a signed Jim Kaat rookie card
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